Processing

On today’s show, we welcome author, motivational speaker, and eating disorder advocate, Iris Ruth Pastor . Iris joins us to discuss her decades-long battle with eating disorders, how she saved her own life, and just what her amazing mantra, “preserving your bloom”, means to her. Iris is such a delight of a human, and we were so blown away, not only by her incredible life story, but also by her hum...

On today’s show we welcome mother and host of “A Peace of Grief” podcast , Sydoney Taylor. Sydoney lost her eldest son Benjamin in September of 2020, and she lovingly shares with us about this unimaginable loss, and how she found ways to cope, and find meaning after Benjamin's passing.  Sharing these stories always asks a huge amount of vulnerability of our guests, and we want to extend extra grat...

On this week’s show we have the honor of speaking with Martel Catalano, the Founder and Executive Director of Beyond My Battle, an amazing non profit dedicated to reducing the stress of serious illness, rare disease, and disability through emotional support and educational resources rooted in mindfulness, awareness, and compassion. We talk with Martel about her diagnosis as a pre teen with Retinit...

This week we read a listener letter about the painful realities surrounding mourning our loved ones in the times of COVID. The complex nature of grieving is made bitterly painful by the inability to gather and be around people for comfort, support, touch and food. Thank you to Blair for your touching letter, and we are honored to help you unpack some of these hard truths in this week's show. Herit...

On today's show we are joined by pastry chef and grief survivor, Jess Quinn . When Jess was 25 her mother was diagnosed with dementia, eventually dying from it five years later. Jess shares the brutally unique experience of losing a loved one this way, little by little. She is a brave and honest woman, and her story is both tragic and hopeful. She vividly recants tender and special moments with he...

Hey friends. On this weeks show we are talking about our most deeply nostalgic food memories. The foods and tastes and smells that bring us right back to a specific time and place, and the people that we loved and lost who made those moments so special.  We reminisce about pea soup, apple strudel, pizza rustica and more. What are some of your most nostalgic foods? Let us know by emailing us at pro...

We are so proud to welcome Author and Journalist, Tessa Miller to this week's show. Tessa has written a beautiful book, entitled “What doesn’t Kill You:  A Life with Chronic Illness--Lessons from a Body in Revolt”, which at the time of this airing, has just been released. Tessa’s book is about her struggle with Crohn's Disease. Just as in her writing, Tessa brings rawness and grace to our conversa...

This week we are joined by Cake Designer, Baker and Writer, Monica O'Connell. Monica earned a Ph. D. in ethnomusicology from New York University, and was executive director of the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College in Chicago for eight years. She then pivoted in her professional life,and began to pursue her passion and creative calling as a Cake Baker and Designer. Monica has a de...

On this week's show it's just us two, and we talk to each other about the complex grief that accompanies heartbreak. Most have experienced at least one great heartbreak in our lifetimes, and yet it is rarely talked about honestly for what it often is; deep grief. We have our different ways of coping with broken heartedness, and many of those coping mechanisms are tied to food. We unpack the emotio...

On today’s show we have the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Kimberly Warner. Kimberly is the creator of the Unfixed podcast and docuseries. UNFIXED is about the stories of everyday people who have learned to thrive with chronic, incurable conditions. Kimberly joins us to discuss the deeply important and innovative work she is doing with Unfixed, as well as some of her own personal experiences...

On today’s show we are honored to welcome the Driscoll family. Ellen and Dan are brother and sister, and Clare is Dan’s daughter and Ellen’s niece. Dan and Ellen both lost their wives to cancer, and Clare, her mother, and they talk candidly about this experience, and how they have found ways to cope since losing their beloveds. What a beautiful and emotional episode this was, one that left us with...

This week we have the pleasure of speaking with an old friend of the family, Chef Ryan Augusta . Ryan joins us to talk about his harrowing and life changing experience with being diagnosed with tongue and neck cancer in his early 30’s. He talks to us about the incredibly complex nature of battling cancer as a young father of three and husband, and also how it deeply affected his relationship with...

On today’s show we have the honor of welcoming chef, writer, TV personality, activist and lover of food, Andrew Zimmern. Andrew has spent his life in the food industry, and as we come to find out, it was the industry that ultimately helped to save his life. He candidly opens up about his struggle with drugs and alcohol, and how he managed to rise from the ashes after trying to drink himself to dea...

On this week's show we welcome the brilliantly talented writer, Alicia Kennedy. Alicia is a food and beverage writer with a heavy focus on veganism. She joined us from her home in San Juan, Puerto Rico to discuss the loss of her brother Brian, and how that profound grief has intertwined with food over the past several years. Alicia is a beautiful writer and human, and her deep and thoughtful words...

On this week's show we talk with each other about the complicated grief that can often accompany the holiday season. We cover how to handle feeling overwhelmed, strategies for coping with being triggered and the significance of food during this time of the year. Sending love to all of you out there, this week and all weeks.  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network....

Hello sweet friends. This week we have the honor of speaking with Serena Liguori , the Executive Director of New Hour For Women and Children. New Hour was founded on Long Island to provide meaningful support to current and formerly incarcerated women, their children and families. They build community to promote successful reentry and lasting reintegration, and to reform unjust criminal justice sys...

We have a very special episode for you all this week. Film critic Susannah Gruder joins us to talk about food & grief in film. Susannah recommended three incredible and poignant films for us to watch and discuss on the show, and we had an amazing time watching, and discussing them with her. We watched "Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels", Directed by Chantal Akerman, "Still Walkin...

On this week's episode, we read your listener letters and catch up with each other to unpack some different thoughts we have been having about grief and food. Note: this episode was recorded prior to the 2020 election, Incase you are wondering why we don’t mention it during the episode. Stay safe out there friends, and take care of yourselves and each other. Heritage Radio Network is a listener su...

Hi friends. On this weeks show we welcome our dear friend Janet Mercel . Janet is a writer and interior designer based in LA. In 2016 Janet confronted a mysterious lifelong illness, and underwent heart surgery, having an experimental pacemaker put in. She joins us to discuss this time of pain, change, and literal heartbreak, and how her relationship with food helped heal her, and reconnect her wit...

Hello friends. On today’s show we are joined by Chef Eli Sussman. Eli is the author of 4 cookbooks, a board member of Share our Strength, and the Chef/ Owner of the recently closed Samesa, which had multiple locations throughout NYC. He joins us to discuss the multitude of emotions that come from closing a business, from the pain of loss of identity, to the relief of letting go of the daily strugg...

On today’s show we welcome Portland Grief House founder, Laura Green. Laura joins us to talk about the amazing project she has started in The Portland Grief House, and how she envisions its place in Portland’s grief community. We talk about the many ways in which Portland has been experiencing communal as of late, and the impact of raging wildfires on her appetite. Laura has a beautiful way of loo...

On this week's very special episode we are joined by music legend Judy Collins . Judy is a grammy award winner with a career spanning over 60 years. She not only has a 55 album body of work under her belt, but she is also an author and activist. Judy joins us to talk about her decades-long struggle with eating disorders, the tragic loss of her only son, and the power of acceptance and vulnerabilit...

On today's show we are re-airing our wonderful chat with owner of Shelsky's of Brooklyn , Peter Shelsky. Peter joins us to talk about the rich history and traditions of shiva. We talk smoked fish, mourning and much more on this lovely and lighthearted episode. We adore Peter and urge all smoked fish lovers to get dow there ASAP! Hang in there folks, and we are sending love. Heritage Radio Network...

On today’s show we are joined by the lovely Tucker Schwarz. In early 2019 Tucker awoke in the middle of the night to realize that her apartment building was on fire. Luckily she escaped the fire physically unharmed, and no one else in the building was at home. Her apartment, and all her possessions, photos and keepsakes were destroyed. This is such a traumatizing and life altering event, and we fe...

On today's show, we chat with each other about the intense going ons in the world and how we are coping with them. It was great to catch up just the two of us and just be honest about how this very tumultuous time is effecting us, and what we have been cooking and eating to cope.   Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Processing by becoming a member ! P...